The present invention relates to an electric motorcycle with wheel anti-lock system.
The use is known and more and more common of electrically-propelled motorcycles. Electric motorcycles of known type comprise an electric motor, typically consisting of a single-phase AC motor or of a brushless motor, a rechargeable electric battery and an inverter connected to the electric battery and able to control the electric motor.
In practice, the inverter receives a signal from the throttle grip of the electric motorcycle, and converts this received signal into a corresponding supply current/voltage of the electric motor.
Therefore, during this phase of power supply to the electric motor, the inverter draws a predetermined current from the electric battery and appropriately converts it into power supplied to the electric motor.
Furthermore, electric motorcycles of known type can be provided with a regenerating system, i.e., a system capable of recovering energy during deceleration/braking of the motorcycle in order to use it for recharging the electric battery.
Consequently, when slowing down and/or braking the recovered energy translates into a current sent to the electric motorcycle battery, to recharge the battery itself.
Nevertheless, the known type of electric propulsion systems requires a number of solutions. In particular, it is known that the wheel anti-lock systems (ABS—Antilock Braking System) of conventional type are difficult to fit on electrically-propelled motor vehicles.
In fact, the known type of anti-lock braking systems are not able to handle all those driving situations wherein the locking of the drive wheel is caused by the deceleration of the motor vehicle due to the braking action of the electric motor, i.e., during the battery regeneration phase, when use is made of the energy recovered to charge the electric battery.
For example, in case of the locking of the wheel of the motor vehicle caused exclusively by the braking action of the electric motor, an anti-lock system of conventional type would operate directly on the brakes of the motor vehicle so as to decrease the braking force. However, not only would such operation of the anti-lock system not allow the release of the wheel, but would also risk impairing a subsequent operation of the brakes controlled by the rider.
The document US 2012/138375 A1 describes a wheel anti-lock system for electric motorcycles.
Nevertheless, such known system does not allow effectively preventing the wheels of an electric motorcycle from locking even after vehicle deceleration caused by the braking action of the electric motor of the motorcycle, during an electric battery regeneration phase.